


NYCTOPHOBIA

by aetraise



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-07 11:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19208347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aetraise/pseuds/aetraise
Summary: nyc·to·pho·bi·a/ˌniktəˈfōbēə/nounextreme or irrational fear of the night or of darkness.Thomas Connor has to help comfort Joey Drew in a dark and dimly lit room.





	NYCTOPHOBIA

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Halfusek on Tumblr](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Halfusek+on+Tumblr).



> Hey so here’s a short tomjoe fic requested by Halfusek

The door slammed shut behind him, some of the nearby papers pinned onto the wall almost falling down. “Stupid employees!” His voice sounded weak as the man leaned against the wall, looking around and making sure there weren’t any dark corners in his office. The simple thought of having to stand in a dark office or in a dark room send shivers up Joey’s spine. What was it about dark rooms...what was it about the dark in general that sent Joey either into a panic or made him look like a child wearing the disguise of an adult? After telling Sammy about it -who scoffed about it and told him to ‘grow up’- he had reserved his fears to a secret that nobody would learn or know about.

Too bad he was terrible at hiding it, though. Often times employees would see or catch Joey staying far away from any areas or rooms that didn’t have a working light in them. When asked about it, he would simply shake his head and refuse to give a verbal answer which only made everybody else much more suspicious or confirm what they already knew;

The dreaming Joey Drew was scared of the dark.

He sighed, shaking his head. Things weren’t like this before Henry left the studio. He didn’t have to worry about Henry knowing his fear of the dark.

Now he’s gone and it felt like as if nobody was there to comfort him in these times. He was tired of being told to ‘grow up’ or to ‘not act like a child’. Adults could be scared of the dark, right? RIGHT?

His hand went up, grabbing a fistful of hair and making his way over to his desk. “It’s fine..it’s all fine!” No it isn’t. “It’s all just happiness and dreams! They don’t need to know! Nobody needs to know that I’m still acting like a child!” 

Mr. Drew, you’re crying.

He stopped and went quiet, only leaving the occasional huff or inhale as he cried. Did he calm down? No, it only got worse and worse. It didn’t take long before he was a sobbing mess who was crying on their own desk, not giving a damn anymore if people heard him. 

Now rinse and repeat for a few more days. 

Granted, many employees heard this while passing by his office. Some even stopped to see if it would stop, only to be given a ‘no’ if they heard Joey continue to cry.

Then Thomas Connor walked by the door one day and just at the wrong time too. He could hear his boss clear as day sobbing his heart out on the other side of the door. Granted while Connor didn’t like Drew in the slightest bit...it still made him slightly upset to hear him crying. He knocked on the door, waiting to see if it opened.

”W...Who i-is it?” Joey’s frail voice and cracking voice sounded from the other side of the door. He wiped away his tears but his cheeks, nose and eyes were still red and puffy -I mean he had just cried his heart out- which wasn’t good if anybody was coming in.

”Thomas Connor.” Connor’s grunt voice was a little muffled but could still be heard clearly. “You need to help me plan out some of these pipes.” 

“Yes...yes that’s right.” Joey stood up, slowly making his way to the door only to be stopped when Thomas turned the knob and pushed it open, almost hitting Joey in the process. He flinched and stepped back, his eyes landing on Thomas who was holding some papers in his hands that appeared to be sketches of some sort. Joey wasn't paying too much attention, his eyes somewhat hurting and how tired he was of all the sleep he was loosing over the course of a week. He thought that nobody noticed the eye bags he had slowly gained, but he was dead wrong. "Mr. Drew, have you not been sleeping well?" He looked over at Joey who was leaning against the wall, trying to keep his eyes open and only gave a tired nod.

\---

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing. I don't trust these layouts too much but I'll still put them where they need to go." Thomas stood up, pushing the extra chair he had pulled up aside and collected the papers into his arms. Joey at this point was almost asleep, his arms serving as a makeshift "pillow" for his head to rest on. Thomas actually pretended to leave the office but didn't close the door to see if his boss would completely fall asleep. Alas, after a few minutes of standing and waiting, he finally did fall asleep. Thomas chuckled and walked inside to turn off the lamp that sat and collected dust on Joey's desk. Since it was now the only working light -the light bulbs burned out for all the other lights and Joey claimed "I don't have time to fix some stupid lights!" as he would cower away from the now larger and even more terrifying darker spots in his office- it was Joey's only source of comfort at this point.

The lamp clicked off in a moments notice and Thomas walked away, closing the door behind him.

Did he know of Joey's panic and intense fear of the dark? Of course not. 

\---

A nightmare had startled Joey enough to make him wake up about an hour into his little accidental nap. He was shaking and in a cold sweat, heart pounding, shaky breathing, sweaty hands and with intense butterflies in his stomach. The bad kind of butterflies. Had his brain registered that there were no lights on in his office? That he was sitting in the dark with no way to help him see? Not yet at least. He sat up and finally understood the situation at hand. He was like a blind man walking around in a new area, even though this was his office. He knew his own office like the back of his hand but now it felt like Henry and the rest of the employees; confused with the studio and the layout and always getting lost. Now Joey truly understood what it’s like to be an employee.

Now take into fact that Joey has a terrible fear of the dark to the point that he can have a breakdown in a room with no lights.

Want to guess what happens next?

Joey felt the intense fear and anxiety swell up in his chest and stomach that forced him to sit against the wall and curl up into a tight ball. Soon enough he was crying while holding onto his arms in an attempt to try to soothe himself. 

What felt like an eternity -when in reality it had only been 5 minutes- of him sobbing nonstop was cut abruplty short when the door slowly opened, letting the light of the hallway outside to flood in and somewhat illuminate the office. Joey immediately scrambled over to the light and sat in it, looking up and feeling his heart stop. Thomas Connor stood in the doorway, one hand placed on the doorknob. Joey gulped. “How long have you been there for, Tommy??” He tried to hide that he was terrified and that he just spent the last few minutes sobbing but Thomas could see right through it. He only looked down at his boss, seeing the state he was in and once more feeling that sympathy he felt the last time he heard Joey cry his heart out.

”Mr. Drew, are you fine? And you better tell me the truth.”

Joey looked away, shaking his head. Thomas nodded silently, walking in and letting the door close behind him. Joey felt his heart pound as he watched the faint light that illuminated his office to disappear as the door closed. He scooted back to the wall where he had been recently. Thomas sat down right next to him and stuck his hand out to Joey. “Hold it.”

Joey gave him a strange look. “Hold your hand? No! Not in a m-“

”Don’t make me repeat myself.” His tone changed very quickly and while he didn’t have to directly threaten Joey, the message got through. Joey quickly grabbed onto his hand, already feeling a little bit at ease from the contact. His breathing slowed a little and he gave a small yet weak smile. Thomas would only gently pull on his arm and open up to Joey. 

Considering that Joey had always been seen as childish or immature for having a fear of the dark, this? This meant the world to him. He was in Thomas’ arms faster than the mechanic could blink. Was he surprised? Yes. He didn’t think that Joey would actually admit that he needed comfort.

The two would spend the night there, Thomas whispering sweet nothings, positive affirmations and comforting words to Joey to help him rest. Joey would listen, his head resting on Thomas’ chest and slowly falling asleep along with the gentle beat of the mechanic’s heart soothing him as well. As Thomas was trying to soothe and comfort him, Joey was slowly coming to terms with his nyctophobia.

He has finally accepted that its ok to be afraid of the dark.


End file.
